& “Week September 3 : Pay ATTENTION : Background Passage: Hebrews I:1—-2:4 a Lesson Passages: Hebrews 1:1-8,14; 2: tion throug and Christians need to give careful attention to its demands on their lives. KEY BIBLE VERSE Hebrews 2:1 IMAGESOURCEPUNCHISTOCK/CD/HEAR SEE, FEEURP — Chow often have you heard a mother exclaim to her young child, “Look me in the eyes, Pay attention to me!” My Greek professor, explaining some particular text, often admonished us, “Little children, listen up!” In both cases an attempt was made to capture someone's undivided attention. In a day inundated with the concept of tolerance, we must acknowledge that God provided salvation for each of us through His Son, Jesus Christ— and only through His Son, Understanding this is at the heart of our faith. The earliest Christians were no doubt asked, “Why Jesus Christ?” Today many ask, “Why should we put our faith in a Jew who died 2,000 years ago?” Cults are proliferating; Eastern religions are becoming popular; and the Islam faith is spreading like a prairie fire. Dare we say, outside Jesus Christ there is no salvation? Do we really believe Jesus’ words “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6)? No doubt we tend to take this great salvation for granted, forgetting the cost involved as well as the responsibility to live out its demands. God wants His people to keep on studying the Bible, to know what it says about Christ, and to understand how these truths apply to our lives today. So, listen up! Week of September 3 WMBD LLONS 1. What significant truths did the writer of Hebrews summarize about God's revelation to us? (1:1-2) 2. Give evidences that the Son is superior to angels. (1:8) 3. What always happens to those who disobey God's law? (2:2-3) BACKGROUND PASSAGE OVERVIEW What God said through the prophets was extremely im- portant; however, what God said through His Son was cli- mactic, definitive, superlative, and final. The Sonship of Christ, His dignity, His role, and His authority all combine to show that He is superior to the angels. We must listen to Jesus because the penalty for ignoring Him is catastrophic. To ignore Jesus is to miss out on salva- tion—something we dare not do. Hebrews might be one of the most neglected major books in the New Testament. Yet it gives us the assurance of the superiority of Christ and a clear insight into the Christian interpretation of the Old Testament history and worship. We need knowledge of both. Listen Up! (Hes. 1:1-3) 1 Long ago God spoke to the fathers by the prophets at dif- ferent times and in different ways. 2 In these last days, He has spoken to us by |His!| Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things and through whom He made the universe. 3 He is the radiance of His glory, the exact expression of His nature, and He sustains all things by His powerful word. After mak- ing purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. 1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spo- ken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; MEM Pay AttentionVerse 1. This verse presents four significant truths. The first is that God spoke, Like the beginning verses of Genesis, Hebrews begins with the assumption that God exists. No argument is given, simply a statement of fact. pas Furthermore, God has spoken to our fathers, a reference to él are the the time of the Old Testament. God’s primary messengers oe sdanal during these times were the prophets, He also spoke through — being God's priests, sages, singers, and others or, as the author said, in dif- final prophet, ferent ways. He spoke through His mercy and judgment, superior Priest, through dreams and visions, through thunder and wind, and and eternal sometimes in a still, small voice. King? (1:1-3) Verse 2a. In these last days is a reference to the time be- tween the incarnation and the Lord’s return, This phrase in- corporated the Old ‘Testament idea of the age to come when the Messiah would be present—for Jews, the climax of histo- ry. We would call this period of time the final age. During these days God has chosen to speak to us by His Son, God’s final and complete revelation. In these final days, God wants us to hear Him. And we must listen! This is an age of crisis, a time in history when the gospel must either be received or rejected. There will be no other special revelation. Verses 2b-3. Some writers refer to these two verses as the most beautiful single passage in the New Testament. The author, having declared Christ to be the supreme revealer of God, next listed seven significant proofs declaring Him to be superior to angels, The number seven, a perfect number in numerology, denotes the absolute supremacy of our Lord. As we discuss the specific proofs, mark them in your Bible or in your spiritual notebook. The first two statements are found at the end of verse 2. Christ is the One whom God appointed heir of all things and the One through whom He made the universe. Ap- pointed is a timeless form of the verb “to place,’ meaning there was never a time when our Lord was not heir of every- thing. He is the rightful owner of all things (see Ps. 2:8). He is the One through whom the entire universe of time and space was created. Literally, every single thing in this uni- verse came into being through Him (see John 1:1-35 Col. 1: 15-18), From the minute atom to the vast sweep of the solar system, He created it. Week of September 3 MEM